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OVERVIEW

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Brief Synopsis

A mob-connected trainer grooms a bellhop for the boxing ring.

Bellhop Ward Guisenberry is mixing drinks at a party being thrown by boxing manager Nick Donati and his mistress, Louise Phillips, known as Fluff. When Sam McGraw, the fighter owned by gangster Turkey Morgan, insults Fluff, Ward punches him, knocking him out. To teach him a lesson, Turkey insists on a rematch between Ward and McGraw, and to avoid a conflict, Nick agrees. Ward goes along with the idea in order to earn enough money to buy a farm, although Fluff does her best to talk him out of fighting. To everyone's surprise, Ward wins the fight and has to leave town in a hurry to avoid Turkey's men. Fluff sends Ward to Nick's family's farm to hide out, despite Nick's rule that his family should never associate with anyone involved in boxing. Even Fluff has never met Nick's mother or sister Marie. Ward immediately charms Mrs. Donati and Marie, who hides her admiration by quarreling with him. When Nick learns where Ward is hiding, he quickly brings him back to the city where, now known as Kid Galahad, Ward goes on to great success as a boxer. Unaware that Fluff has fallen in love with him, Ward tells her of his love for Marie. Unselfishly, Fluff advises him to tell Marie, and realizing that she no longer loves Nick, leaves him to return to singing. Marie visits Ward in the city and they go to the nightclub where Fluff works. At the club, Ward gets into a fight with McGraw, and when reporters cover the story, Nick learns of Ward's relationship with Marie. In revenge, Nick agrees to let Ward fight the champion, even though he is not ready. He bets against Ward and suggests a strategy guaranteed to make Ward lose the fight. Fluff, however, realizes Nick's intentions and convinces him to change his plans. Ward wins the fight, and believing that he was double-crossed, Turkey shoots Nick and kills him.